Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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100. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 126 of 8 November 2022, the status of the heat and built environment delivery task force; if the task force has met to date; the membership of the task force; the terms of reference of the task force; if minutes are taken in respect of meetings of the task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9838/23]

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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101. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the total number of homes that were deep retrofitted in 2021 and 2022; and the total number of homes that installed a heat pump in 2021 and 2022. [9859/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Climate Action Plan includes a target to reduce emissions from the residential sector by retrofitting the equivalent of 500,000 homes to a building energy rating (BER) of B2/cost optimal and installing 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes by the end of 2030.

In February last year, the Government launched a package of supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades. The key measures introduced include:

- a new National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme (NHEUS) providing increased grant levels of up to 50% of the cost of a typical deep retrofit to a B2 BER standard.

- establishment of a network of One Stop Shops offering a start-to-finish project management service for home energy upgrades.

- aligning many of the grant supports available under the Better Energy Homes Scheme and the Community Energy Grant Scheme with the NHEUS rates.

- a special enhanced grant rate of 80% for attic and cavity wall insulation for all households in recognition of the importance of high-impact shallow measures.

- grants of up to €10,500 to support the installation of a heat pump with emitters such as radiators.

Demand across the SEAI residential and community energy upgrade schemes was exceptionally high in 2022 as the figures below highlight:

- 27,200 home energy upgrades were supported compared to 15,246 in 2021 - a 79% increase year-on year.

- Of these, 8,481 upgrades were to a post works Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2 or better, compared to 4,345 in 2021 - a 95% increase year-on-year.

- Of the overall figure, 4,438 free energy upgrades were delivered under SEAI energy poverty schemes, compared to 2,398 in 2021 - a 85% increase year-on-year.

- 2,269 heat pumps were installed in 2022, compared to 1,972 in 2021 - a 15% increase year-on-year.

- Over 50,000 applications received in 2022 which is up 150% on 2021 levels and points to a robust pipeline of activity for 2023.

My Department is working with SEAI to build on this strong performance. A target of 37,000 retrofits has been set for 2023, and a record €356 million capital funding has been allocated to SEAI for residential and community retrofit to support the achievement of this target.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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102. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on his latest announcement regarding a new low-cost State loan to retrofit homes; the expected uptake of this loan in the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9940/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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My Department is working with the Department of Finance, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland, the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund to develop a residential retrofit loan guarantee scheme. The scheme is part of Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan and will be co-funded by the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility and Exchequer funding. It will also be backed by a counter guarantee provided by the EIB Group.

The loan guarantee will provide risk protection to retail credit institutions participating in the scheme and will enable credit institutions to offer loans with reduced interest rates to private homeowners and non-corporate landlords making comprehensive home energy efficiency upgrades more affordable to consumers.

Further, it will signal to the banking sector, new sustainable business opportunities associated with retrofit and the transition to a low carbon economy as well as increasing the volume of retrofit activity within the State.

Regarding potential uptake of the loan, detailed research undertaken by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland indicates a significant level of interest by homeowners, and it is anticipated that the scheme will provide a lending portfolio of up to €500 million.

Significant progress has been made to date, with two open calls for expressions of interest to participate in the scheme completed, and a number of banks and credit unions submitting formal expressions of interest.

The development of this innovative scheme is a complex process involving several stakeholders. Intensive engagement to develop the scheme is ongoing and there has been extensive due diligence between the EIB Group and the Irish banking and credit union sector. All stakeholders are committed to finalising the project and it is expected that the loan guarantee will be in place in the coming months.